Life raft or boat holding or releasing device.



H. R. HUMPHREYS.

LIFE RAFT 0R BOAT HOLDING 0R RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION HLED NOV-l1. 1915.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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H. R. HUMPHREYS.

LIFE RA FT 0R BOAT HOLDING 0R RELEASING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 1915.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED F A FIFE,

HANNA R. HUMPHREYS, OF WEEMS, VIRGINIA.

LIFE RAFT 0R BOAT HOLDING OR RELEASING DEVICE.

Application filed November 17, 1915.

deck upon which they are supported, as in case of sinking of the ship.

In carrying out my invention I provide means whereby the life boat or the like can also be manually released, which permits of.

the crew to partake in their drill of swinging the boat to position for use.

The nature and advantages of the invention will be thoroughly understood from the following description when taken in con nection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views and wherein Figure 1 shows the deck of a ship in elevation with a life raft secured thereon in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one end of the raft showing the manner of locking the raft in position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the parts in inoperative position. Fig. 1 is a view showing a boat in sideelevation supported upon the deck in accordance with my invention. Fig. 5 is an end view thereof. Fig. 6 is an enlarged longi tudinal sectional view, showing the normal position of the parts. Fig. 7 is a view showing the inoperative position of parts with the chock block lowered.

Referring to the drawings in detail and more particularly with reference-to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, A indicates the deck of a ship, B a life raft of usual construction, consisting of the floats C supported by the plat form D. Supported upon the deck A-in spaced relation thereto is a pair of beams indicated at 5 and upon which the opposite ends of the raft are supported. The raft is connected to the beams 5 in the manner to be presently described, but as the raft is connected in identically the same manner at both ends to the beam 5, a description of one of these connections will suffice for both.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 191.6.

Serial No. 62,023.

Depending from the platform D of the raft and connected therewith in any suitable manner is an eye bolt 6 having its eye 7 eX- tended into a suitable recess 8 in one of the beams 5, and passed through a transverse bore 9 in the beam, which bore communicates with the recess 8, and intersecting the eye 7 of the bolt 6, is a second bolt 10, which latter when passed through the eye 7 serves to lock the raft in fixed position upon the beams 5. The bolt 10 is provided with spaced heads 11 and connected with the bolt and arranged between the said heads 11 is the arm 13 of a bell crank lever 14. The bell crank lever is pivotally mounted upon a bearing 15, projecting from one edge of the beam 5, and has its arm 16 disposed beneath said beam, and has associated with the extremity thereof a suitable float 17 With the construction and arrangement of parts hereinabove described it will be manifest that the life raft is rigidly supported in fixed relation to the deck of the ship normally, but in event of any accident resulting in the sinking of the ship, the float when submerged would cause the bell crank lever 14 to rock upon its pivot in a manner that would move the bolt 10 out of engagement with the eye 7 of the bolt 6, thereby automatically effecting a release of the life raft for use.

In Figs. 4; to 7 inclusive I have disclosed a means for supporting and locking the life boat in position upon the deck, and wherein A indicates the deck of the ship and B theboat. Fixed upon the deck in spaced relation thereto is a pair of beams 18, and upon each beam is hingedly supported the chock blocks 19 of usual construction to receive and support the boat B therebetween. Each of the blocks 19 is provided with a hook 20 adapted to engage in an eye 21 on the beam for the purpose of holding the chock blocks normally in upright position. The chock blocks 19 on each beam are spaced a slight distance from each other, and adapted to be arranged within this space is the keel 22 of the boat when thelatter is supported between the blocks. Depending from the keel 22 is an eye bolt 23, the eye 21 of which is positioned within a suitable recess in the beam 18. Passed through a transverse bore in the block 18 and also through the eye 24 of the bolt 23 is a bolt 25, which latter serves to hold the bolt 23 locked in engagement with the beam 18. The bolt 25 is provided with spaced heads 26, and arranged between the said heads and connected with the bolt is the arm 27, of a bell crank lever 28, the

latter being pivotally connected with a bearing 29 projecting from one edge of the beam 18, while the other arm 30 of the bell crank lever extends beneath the beam 18 and has associated therewith a float 31. In the normal position of parts it will be manifest that the bolt is supported in fixed relation to the deck of the ship, but if for any reason the latter should sink without affording suflicient opportunity to throw the life boats to a position for use, the boat when submerged would be automatically released for use, by reason of the fact that the float 31 when elevated by the water would impart a rocking movement to the bell crank lever 28, thereby forcing the bolt 25 out of engagement with the eye 24 of the bolt 23 as will be readily understood. The boat may be very easily and quickly released manually, by swinging the chock blocks on their pivot to a lowered position, whereupon the chain 32 having one end connected to the chock block and its opposite end connected to the arm 30 of the bell crank lever operates to impart a rocking movement to said lever, thereby effecting a releasefof the boat in the manner hereinabove described. Manifestly the boat may therefore be released by the crew while partaking in such drills as require the swinging of these boa-ts to one side of the ship, from which position they are lowered for use.

In will be noted that in both forms of the invention disclosed, the floats 17 and 31 are each inclosed by a casing 34 with a view of preventing the float being eflected by giant waves or the like to a release of either the life boat or raft. The casings are fixed in any suitable manner upon the deck in spaced relation thereto as shown, while one wall of the casing is provided with an elongated slot 35 to adjustably receive the arm of the float positioned within the casing.

It is believed that from the foregoing description the nature and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent without requiring a more extended explanation. However I desire to have it understood that I do not limit myself to the precise construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, as various changes Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is 1. Means for supporting a life boat or the like on deck, including a plurality of members fixed upon said deck, and adapted to support said boat, an eye bolt depending from the boat and received by one of said members, means for locking said bolt in the member, and means for effecting an automatic release of said bolt.

2. Means for supporting a life boat or the like on deck, including a plurality of members fixed upon said deck, an eye bolt depending from said boat and received by one of said members, a second bolt passed through said member and eye, a bell crank lever pivotally mounted upon said member and carrying said second mentioned bolt, and a float on said lever for automatically locking the latter to effect a release of the boat when the same is submerged.

3. Means for supporting a life boat on deck, including supports fixed on said deck, a pair of chock blocks hingedly mounted on each of said supports and adapted to receive the boat therebetween, means for normally holding the blocks in upright position, a 0011- nection between the boat and one of said supports for locking the boat between the blocks, means for effecting the release of said boat when the latter is submerged, and a connection between one of said blocks and the last mentioned means for effecting a release of said boat when the blocks are swung upon their pivots to horizontal position.

4. Means for supporting a life boat on deck, including supports fixed on said deck, a pair of chock blocks mounted on each of said supports and adapted to receive the boat therebetween, means for normally holding said blocks in upright position, means for locking said boat between said blocks, and a connection between said blocks and locking means for effecting a release of said boat when the blocks are swung upon their pivots to horizontal position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HANNA R. HUMPHREYS.

Witnesses:

'C. J. HAYDON,

J. L. HALL.

Commissioner 01' Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

